Miller Atlas
Title
Miller Atlas
Alternative Title
Lopo Homem-Reineis Atlas
Description
The Miller Atlas is a collection of a eight beautifully embellished maps from 1519. They are attributed to Lopo Homem, Pedro Reinel, and Jorge Reinel, prominent Portuguese cartographers of the time, and António de Holanda, a Dutch miniaturist. The atlas came at a time of strong cartographical presence and development in the area, especially in regards to nautical mapping. These charts cover various sections of the world, including the Atlantic Ocean, Northern Europe, Arabia, India, the Indian Ocean, Brazil, and more. One of the maps is a world map that shows about half of South America, as well as Europe, Africa, and much of Asia.
While not all of the maps can be detailed here, a good representation of what they each contain can. The diagram of the Northern Indian Ocean With Arabia and India does this well. The entire map is covered with red and green lines which stem from compass roses. Much of the ocean is filled with drawings of grand ships sailing on small patches of blue water. Oceans are also marked with their names in black text. In the ocean, there are many islands of a variety of colors, some in gold, which stand out significantly. The edges of land are green with the color fading quickly as it goes inland. It appears as though countries are marked with a large red banner with gold writing. Individual city names are written much smaller in red or black. On land, there are a variety of drawings showing what is there. This ranges from castles and palaces, to trees and mountains, to animals and humans. With great attention to detail and use of color, the makers made it easy to envision the area and what one might find there.
The Miller Atlas contains maps that differ from earlier maps in a few ways. This can be seen in the iconography, toponymy, and the use of legends to provide information. Additionally, the map uses design components such as red ink to bring out iconic elements and incorporate it into the design. Finally, the atlas is quite innovative in its incredible artwork and inclusion of recent discoveries.
It is likely that these maps aimed to represent the Portuguese view of the world. It provides a good visualization of where land masses are in relation to one another, and how the oceans interact and play into this scene. (Josh Madigan 2027)
While not all of the maps can be detailed here, a good representation of what they each contain can. The diagram of the Northern Indian Ocean With Arabia and India does this well. The entire map is covered with red and green lines which stem from compass roses. Much of the ocean is filled with drawings of grand ships sailing on small patches of blue water. Oceans are also marked with their names in black text. In the ocean, there are many islands of a variety of colors, some in gold, which stand out significantly. The edges of land are green with the color fading quickly as it goes inland. It appears as though countries are marked with a large red banner with gold writing. Individual city names are written much smaller in red or black. On land, there are a variety of drawings showing what is there. This ranges from castles and palaces, to trees and mountains, to animals and humans. With great attention to detail and use of color, the makers made it easy to envision the area and what one might find there.
The Miller Atlas contains maps that differ from earlier maps in a few ways. This can be seen in the iconography, toponymy, and the use of legends to provide information. Additionally, the map uses design components such as red ink to bring out iconic elements and incorporate it into the design. Finally, the atlas is quite innovative in its incredible artwork and inclusion of recent discoveries.
It is likely that these maps aimed to represent the Portuguese view of the world. It provides a good visualization of where land masses are in relation to one another, and how the oceans interact and play into this scene. (Josh Madigan 2027)
Creator
Lopo Homem, Pedro Reinel, Jorge Reinel, and António de Holanda
Source
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, 1519
Format
Atlas
Publisher
Reinel, Pedro, Jorge Reinel, Lopo Homem, and António de Holanda. Atlas Miller. Barcelona: M. Moleiro Editor, 2003.
Date
1519
Medium
Manuscript
Contributor
Special Collections, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
Language
Latin
Type
Atlas
Identifier
Spatial Coverage
World map
References
Alegria, Maria, Suzanne Daveau, João Garcia, and Francesc Relaño. "Portuguese Cartography in the Renaissance.” Chapter 38 in The History of Cartography, vol. 3, part 1, Cartography in the European Renaissance, ed. David Woodward. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007.
Destombes, Marcel. 1937. “Lopo Homem’s Atlas of 1519.” The Geographical Journal 90 (5): 460. https://doi.org/10.2307/1787974.
Fernández-Armesto, Felipe. “Maps and Exploration in the Sixteenth and Early Seventeenth Centuries.” In The History of Cartography, vol. 3, part 1, Cartography in the European Renaissance, ed. David Woodward. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007.
Rights
Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France. Public Domain.
Collection
Citation
Lopo Homem, Pedro Reinel, Jorge Reinel, and António de Holanda, “Miller Atlas,” Mapping the World, accessed May 2, 2025, https://www.hist231.hist.sites.carleton.edu/items/show/68.